Mitsukai
Appearance The Mitsukai were a humanoid species that ruled on the planet Tishi long before the formation of the Galactic Republic. The Mitsukai appeared similar to normal humans in almost every way accept for their wings. All Mitsukai had large feathered wings that would grow from their backs just inside their shoulder blades. Each individual wing was anywhere from 5 to 7 feet in length on average giving the Mitsukai wingspans of over 10 feet. The wing's feathers were almost always white in color, but in some rare instances Mitsukai's wings could turn black. It is speculated that a corruption of the force is responsible for this transformation in much the same way the force changes the pigment in the eye when the dark side is present. Homeworld Tishi was once a lush and temperate planet, home to many different biomes. The Mitsukai lived in the forested areas where the temperatures were warm in the summers and cool in the winters. However, after the incident with the Dark Star most of the planet has been left a desert. Where the old Mitsukai village once stood is now the heart of a deep dark side void. As such, over the millenia many unnatural creatures have evolved on the planet. There are still some habitable forests far from the site of the original disaster where it is said some Mitsukai still exist. History According to the Mitsukai legends, the Mitsukai were a divine species sent by god himself and imbued with his power in order to watch over all life on Tishi. These legends stemmed from the high frequency of force sensitivity among the Mitsukai. Calling their abilities to predict the future and move objects with their minds "God's power" the Mitsukai took the stance that it was their calling to be the protectors of their planet and of all life. It's not certain at exactly what point it was found, but somewhere in the Mitsukai's history a sword was discovered that seemed to be overflowing with "God's power". This blade was worshiped as a God and many of the elders of the Mitsukai who had come and gone over the centuries would even claim to have heard the blade speak to them. It was not long until a grand temple was built in the blade's honor. The Temple of Balance was what it was called. It was here that the blade was kept safe from outsiders. None dared question the origins of this sword or the true nature of "God's power" until a man named Atsuke Makura. A Mitsukai elder, but also a scientist, Atsuke wanted to discover the true limits of this power and what exactly this sword was. Most of the other elders would have thought this sort of research to be heresy, so in the beginning Atsuke conducted his experiments in secret. By concentrating on emotions and on the life and death in the world around him Atsuke found that he could do many great and terrible things with "God's power". Atsuke then brought the six other elders in and showed them what he had found, not mentioning what he had gone through to discover it. Each of the other elders helped in molding their powers into seven different combat forms, originally intended to be used only to protect the interests of the Mitsukai, as was thought to be the will of God. However, what the Mitsukai had discovered was not the will of God, but merely a perversion of the force known today as the dark side. As Atsuke continued to study the sword (Now referred to as 'The Blade of Balance') he found there to be something sinister about it. Atsuke's research had yielded proof that "God's power" does not come from just the blade or God, but from all life and only life. However, a sword was not a living object, so how could it too carry such a power force presence? Atsuke's conclusion was that this blade was not a blade at all, but a living organism. What's more, Atsuke too could hear the blade speak to him as others had claimed to. It seemed to have control over his mind and was able to alter what Atsuke thought and felt. Increasingly Atsuke isolated himself. The other elders overheard him having lengthy shouting matches with no one at all. Finally the elders had learned of Atsuke's research and decided that he had become a liability. It wasn't long after that they had him dragged from his home in the night and accused of heresy. Atsuke was then executed in front of the Temple of Balance, leaving behind his wife and two sons. Some 17 years later, Atsuke's son Luster Makura was 28 years old and one of the guards working in the Temple. Luster's 17 year old brother Jack Makura had just graduated from the academy and was about to join him. At this time the other elders had begun to hear the voices that Atsuke had. No one trusted anyone anymore. One by one the elders turned on each other until there were only three left. These three elders had become obsessed with the idea of power and driven by the blade's influence they sought to purge all other Mitsukai who might have knowledge of the secrets behind "God's Power". This was begun with Atsuke's family and the murder of his wife. In a rage over their betrayal, and seeking to put an end to their corruption, Jack sneaked into the temple against his brother's advice and stole the Blade of Balance. But of course this was a terrible mistake. The blade formed a symbionce with Jack, wielding him as much as he was wielding it. Overcome by the dark power Jack easily killed the three elders, but his blood lust was not quenched there. Jack moved out into the village, killing at will until finally he came across his brother, Luster. As they battled Jack eventually submitted and begged his brother to simply kill him as the blade in his head was too much to bare. Jack was then stabbed directly in the heart only to discover that it had no effect. The blade was feeding him life. In a desperate attempt to end it Jack poured all of his power into the blade, tearing into time and space and opening up a black hole or what is known as the "Dark Star". Struggling to maintain the Dark Star the blade broke into two pieces under the strain. One stayed with Jack, but the other attached itself to Luster. The Dark Star was closed but the void of death and dark side energy that lingered after turned much of Tishi into a wasteland. From that day forward these two surviving Mitsukai were both cursed by the blade's power. Tormented and unable to die, legend would give them the title "Intangible" due to the nature of their curse. Biology Mitsukai basically possess the same biology as humans aside from their wings. Mitsukai are able to fly over short distances, but cannot maintain flight for too long. They also have naturally high affinity for the force. Perhaps due to levels of metichlorians. A Mitsukai's lifespan varied depending on their force connection. By working in a symbioses with the force Mitsukai could maintain their bodies for thousands of years. As much as 10,000 in extreme cases.